‘Queen James Bible' Scrubs 'Homophobic’ Passages

(CNSNews.com) – Calling it “fabulous,” a publisher has come out with a new translation of the Bible that “resolves any homophobic interpretations,” deeming it the “Queen James” version.

“The Queen James Bible (QJB) is a big, fabulous Bible,” itswebsite explains. Released on Nov. 27 by a publisher named “Queen James,” anonymous editors say they “wanted to make a book filled with the word of God that nobody could use to incorrectly condemn God’s LGBT children.”

“And we succeeded,” they said.

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

The "Queen James" Bible changes a total of eight verses in the King James Version that deal with homosexuality, which it says are used by “anti-LGBT religious activists” to condemn homosexuals.

For instance, the passage regarding Lot’s rescue from Sodom and Gomorra (Genesis 19:5) has been changed as follows:

-- Original KJV: “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

-- Queen James Bible: “And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may rape and humiliate them.”

“We side with most Bible scholars who understand the story of Sodom and Gomorra to be about bullying strangers,” it states under “Editor’s Notes.”

The title page of the first edition of the King James Version of the Bible, published in 1611. (Public domain.)

“Rapes such as this one are common between men in prison; they aren’t sexual acts, they are power-dominating acts,” the editors said.

The editors also argue that Leviticus 18:22, which labels sexual relations between two men an “abomination,” would mean only “scandalous” in today’s world.

“The Hebrew word ‘to’evah’ from which abomination is translated simply means something that is ‘ritually unclean,’ or a ‘taboo,’” the editors write. “Given the definition of the Hebrew word … we suggest that by today’s standards, a biblical abomination would be understood to be ‘scandalous.’”

1 Corinthians 6:9, which states the “unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” has been changed from “Abusers of themselves with mankind” to “promiscuous.”

The remaining verses altered in the “QJB” are: Lev. 20:13, Romans 1:26 and 1:27, 1 Timothy 1:10 and Jude 1:7. The book leaves the rest of the KJV unaltered.

This self-described “Gay Bible” comes over 400 years after King James I of England commissioned 54 of the world’s most renowned scholars and clergymen to create an English translation of the Bible from the Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic texts.

The “Queen James” editors said they chose the King James Version (1611) as their basis not merely because it is the most well-known Bible in history, but because of their claim that King James I was a bisexual.

“Commonly known to biographers but often surprising to most Christians, King James I was a well-known bisexual,” the editors write. “Though he did marry a woman, his many gay relationships were so well-known that amongst some of his friends and court, he was known as ‘Queen James.’”

“It is in his great debt and honor that we name The Queen James Bible so,” they said.

Historians and biographers, however, continue to debate whether King James ever engaged in homosexual behavior. Some historians say yes, others say no. It is an unsettled question.

The QJB is currently selling online for $34.95. “It is the perfect Bible for ceremony, study, sermon, gift-giving, or simply to put on display in the home or church,” the editors said.

“You can’t choose your sexuality,” they conclude, “but you can choose Jesus. Now you can choose a Bible, too.”